Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, hours before Union home minister Amit Shah’s arrival in Calcutta, tried to woo the backward classes and communities of Bengal who had apparently sided with the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In a meeting at state secretariat Nabanna with representatives of backward and marginalised peoples of the state, Mamata gave freehold land rights to refugees in colonies, eased norms for caste certificates and widened the ambit of the state-run health scheme.

For over 80 minutes in the evening, she listened to the demands of the representatives, ordering the formation of development or cultural boards for communities such as Matuas, Bagdis, Bauris, Dules, Majhis and Kirtaniyas.

“Her exercise was aimed at not only stealing some of Shah’s thunder but also to do some damage control among key sections of the south Bengal electorate,” said a Trinamul Rajya Sabha member.

Sources said the move was significant as it was indicative of the Trinamul Congress chief’s eagerness to regain the support that the party enjoyed among the masses in the semi-urban and rural working class in the state.

Also, Trinamul insiders added that the initiative was aimed at countering the BJP’s CAA-oriented campaign in Bengal — something Shah is likely to re-ignite during his visit — to woo Hindu refugees such as the Matuas. Matuas have the power to swing poll outcomes in at least 74 of the 294 Assembly seats in Bengal.

“We have given pattas (long-term settlement rights on government land) to 3.5 lakh families since we came to power in 2011. We will give land rights to another 1.5 lakh families living in the refugee colonies,” Mamata said during the meeting at Nabanna.

In Bengal, there are 94 refugee colonies on state government land and 237 colonies on central government land, where almost 1.5 lakh families, who crossed over from Bangladesh 40-50 years ago, reside.

The state government has regularised 94 colonies on its land, and started the process to give freehold land rights to colony residents. Of late, the state government has started the process of giving similar rights to residents of 119 colonies on central government land.

“We have recognised all the colonies in the state and we are trying to recognise all the central and private colonies as well…. We will give rights to all families living in colonies. The process has started today and 25,000 families would get the rights now. The remaining families would get it soon,” said the chief minister.

“We ensured that these people are citizens of India. It was a longstanding demand of the Matuas as well as other communities,” she added.

“Anybody who lives in a refugee colony will get a patta, which will be issued in phases. We will ensure that people do not have to face the problems regarding certificates and documents. No one can take away land from the locals. We will also ensure that caste certificates are issued at the earliest and documents from the 1950s are not required,” she added.

A minister said that with the backing of Matuas alone, the BJP wrested the Bongaon and Ranaghat Lok Sabha seats. “These initiatives by the CM will help us go to people with the message that Trinamul actually fights for the cause of Matuas,” the minister said.

Mamata also announced a development board for the Matuas and allotted a sum of Rs 10 crore to it. Sources in the administration said the purpose of the board would be to bridge the development gap in the Matua-dominated areas. “For example, if there is a need to install a drinking water source in an area immediately, the board can do it on its own without depending on the government,” said an official.

“When (deceased Matua matriarch) Boro Ma was there, I used to look after her, for the last 20-25 years of her life…. Now, there are new self-proclaimed champions (the BJP) of the Matua cause, who don’t even know what it’s all about,” she said.

“I was the first (prominent political leader) to go to the Matua households. We improved the condition of the railway station near Thakurbari (the Matua Mahasangha headquarters). We constructed a college for the Matuas…,”she added.